A known door lock device for a vehicle described in JP2001-262903A (See paragraphs 0024-0027, FIG. 1) includes an operating mechanism which selectively achieves a locked state where a latched state between a latching means (i.e., a striker 45) provided at a body of the vehicle and a latched means (i.e., latch 41 and pawl 42 or the like) provided at a door cannot be released, and an unlocked state where the latched state is releasable.
With the construction of the known door lock device of this kind, the locked state where the latched state between the latch and the striker cannot be released can be achieved by operating a lock knob in the vehicle, and the locked state or the unlocked state of the door lock device is selectable by a rotational operation of a key cylinder by means of a keyblade at outside of the vehicle or by a remote controlled operation of a lock/unlock switch provided at the keyblade at the outside of the vehicle. When the door lock device is at the unlocked state, the door can be opened by operating an inside handle at the vehicle inside or by operating an outside handle at an outside of the vehicle. When the door lock device is at the locked state, the locked state is maintained not to open the door even if the inside handle and/or the outside handle is operated.
With the construction of the known door lock device, as described in JP2001-262903A, regarding a relation between an open link serving as a transmitting member of an opening operation system and an active lever serving as a switching member of a locking system, an engaging projection provided at the active lever is slidably engaged with a elongated bore formed on the open link. With this construction, by operating an open lever, the open link slides so that the engaging projection slides in the elongated bore, and the open link can be moved tilting between the locked state and the unlocked state when the active lever is rotated by operating the key cylinder or by an operation of a remote controller.
With the construction of the known door lock device described in JP2001-262903A, because the elongated bore is provided at the open link which slides, a size of the open link is increased, and an operational range at an opening operation of the open link at the locked state and the unlocked state is increased. Consequently, a housing which houses the operating mechanism of the door lock is increased in size, larger space is required to mount the door lock device, and costs of parts is increased in accordance with the increase in size.
According to another aspect, the known door lock device for the vehicle described in JP2001-262903A includes a drawback that a noise is generated because of a shakiness between an engaging pin 22b and a first engaging groove 23a when a cancel lever 22 and an open link 23 are operated because there is a gap between the engaging pin 22b and the first engaging groove 23a in a construction that the engaging pin 22b is guided by the first engaging groove 23a to connect the cancel lever 22 and the open link 23.
Further, in order to guide the engaging pin 22b of the cancel lever 22, the first engaging groove 23a is necessary to be provided at the open link 23, that is, as shown in FIG. 7 of JP2001-262903A, a portion which forms the first engaging groove 23a (i.e., a portion at a right side and a bottom side of the first engaging groove 23a) is required to be provided in the open link 23. This increases a size of the open link 23, which leads an increase in size and cost of the door lock device for the vehicle.
A need thus exists for a door lock device for a vehicle, which downsizes an open link, a housing, and the device per se, improves a mountability on a vehicle, eliminates a shakiness of the open link and a cancel lever, and reduces a manufacturing cost.